Not Your Average Rogue
by HeatherLeona
Summary: The story of a young dark-elf raised by a high-elf. Short but sweet background type story.


Not Your Average Rogue

The Story of Lenalia

By: HeatherLeona Starr

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Once there was a very unlikely pair of friends. One was a Lady of the Koada'Dal, Serity Stormchaser. The other was a descendant of one of the very first Teir'Dal families, Alizina D`Nagel. Serity had rescued Alizina from a caravan of bandits, healing her while she fought bravely against them with only a dagger to defend herself. The two were complete opposites: Serity garbed in plate and light and Alizina in chain and darkness, but a bond was quickly formed after that battle. The rogue and the priestess fought side by side for many years against common foes and grew to be the closest of companions.

One day, they were fighting together against a horde of undead. Alizina and her husband Nalin were surrounded, Serity was firing off healing spells one after another, while attempting to defend herself. Nalin was the first to fall, gored upon his own sword by a powerful skeletal king. Alizina seeing her husband fall, was overcome with a strange fury, and fought like a banshee, but her paltry daggers did little damage against the swarm. Eventually she too fell, her anger and sorrow not enough to keep her alive. Serity saw this and she sent off a prayer to Tunare. With what little power she had left to her, she summoned a ball of pure white light and hurled it at the rest of the undead defiling her friends bodies, turning them to ash.

Serity ran to Alizina's side, taking her into her arms. Her friend was barely breathing and her injuries fatal. Serity broke down in tears, knowing her power was spent and she could not heal her. "Please take care of my daughter Lenalia…my friend…" With those final words, Alizina look one final breath, and died in Serity's arms. Serity's heart wrenching sobs echoed through the caves where they had been overcome. Her best friend was dead but she would take care of her daughter and raise her as her own.

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Lenalia grew up in Felwithe with the High-Elves. She was brought up to be a lady like her foster mother Serity, but she never quite fit in. People looked at her dark beauty and knew her heritage and judged her for it, remembering the battles of the past between the dark and light elves of Norrath. She was lonely for this, being made fun of by the other children for being different. She would pass the time making up stories or pulling mischievous pranks, for she had a knack for blending into the shadows and sneaking up on people.

One time while out exploring the woods of Greater Faydark Lenalia happened upon a band of traveling gypsies, among them a bard named Melodin Ariatin. Melodin saw her blue-black skin and deep red eyes and knew she was far from home. He asked her for her story and she told it. Taking pity on her plight he gave her a magical mask that would transform her and help her blend in with the Koada'Dal whenever she donned it. Elated, she thanked the kind bard and ran off home eager to show her foster mother that she too could be a High Elf. Lenalia told the story of the bard and tied the magical mask around her face, showing Serity the amazing gift that Melodin had given her.

Serity was silent, too dumb-founded to speak. She had heard of these magical masks and knew that there was one for every race. She also knew that only those whose talents lead to music or thievery could wear them. 'She shall not die in vain like her poor mother… she must be taught the ways of the Bard and mayhap she will be happy!'

Serity wrote a message to Melodin, who actually lived in the neighboring tree city of Kelethin, beseeching him to train Lenalia to be a great Bard. Melodin knew dark elves could not be bards, but said nothing knowing what grief it would cause Serity. And so Melodin began to teach Lenalia. She studied hard and tried her best to master the difficult lays of the famous bards. No matter how persistent she was, she just couldn't understand how her instruments worked. Sure she knew to hit the drum a certain way or pluck a certain string on her lyre, but none of her tunes ever sounded the way they should. Her storytelling however, was cause of much talk and some of her stories ended up being spread far and wide throughout Norrath. (Though of course she didn't know it!)

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A year passed, and soon enough Lenalia's training ended. "She does not have the Bard talent," her tutor explained. "She will never be a master minstrel but always a good storyteller." Serity's heart nearly broke when she heard those words, for she knew that Lenalia was meant to be a Rogue just like her mother before her had been. Thus her training began anew, this time with a separate purpose. And so her bard tutor tried to explain "how to be a rogue," teaching her about picking the locks on doors and explaining how to pickpocket. He explained that a rogue could backstab but must use a dagger and never a sword to do so. Lenalia often practiced, causing chaos within Felwithe and Kelethin alike. Soon she got bored with her games, her loneliness was greater now than ever. Once it was discovered who was pulling pranks, the scorn she received was greater than it ever had been before.

Finally, she went to Serity and asked questions she had wanted to ask her whole life. Who was she? Why was she different? Where were her real parents? Serity told Lenalia the story of her parents and how she had come to be raised in Felwithe. Lenalia went to bed early that night, thinking over all she had been told. She decided she should find her family and her people and see if she fit in better with them.

In the morning the next day, Lenalia began the long journey to Neriak, where she heard her people now lived. How different it was from Kelethin and Felwithe! The forest outside Neriak was dark and somewhat scary, so different from that of the Faydarks. She got to the gates of Neriak, the guards let her pass as she was one of their kind, and took a deep breath as she ventured into the city. She talked to many people, and asked lots of questions, trying to find her family, but no one seemed to know anything. Finally, she was told to seek out the Rogue Guildmaster as the only Alizina that was known had been an outstanding Rogue. After talking to the guildmaster and explaining who she was, the guildmaster said she could stay with him and his own family. She was put through grueling tasks that were meant to make her a better rogue, but she just felt they were tedious and boring. Soon her gift for storytelling became known and she was put in charge of the children. She told them wondrous stories of her own creation, and used the illusion masks she had collected over the past few years to illustrate them and show the children the different races of people that were out in the world. It was the one bright spot of her day.

Time trickled on, and still Lenalia didn't feel like she fit in. So, she was a "Lady" with the blood of the first families trickling through her veins, she didn't belong here just as she hadn't fit in with the High Elves or Wood Elves. She was different. She didn't want to hurt people, she loved the High Elves and didn't see them how others of her kind did. Soon again she decided to leave. Wishing her few friends goodbye, she traveled again out into the world of Norrath.

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The years passed and Lenalia became adept at the arts of the Rogue. Of course she knew there would always be more to learn as she gained more experience. One day while visiting her foster mother Serity, a band of renegade dark elves invaded Felwithe. At the head of them was the most amazing dark elf male Lenalia had ever seen. Red eyes blazing, she stepped out before them. "Stop this! Leave these people alone! They have done nothing to you!"

The dark elf she had been admiring laughed at her. "Your kind brings shame to the gods! As our opposites you deserve to die!"

Lenalia up to that moment forgot she had been disguised with her high elf illusion. It was her turn to laugh as she dropped the illusion. "My kind? I am of your own kind you fool! These elves may be opposite of us, but they are people just like you!" Passionately Lenalia asked, "Who are you that you think to befoul the city with your wrongdoing? Who are you to decree that me and mine deserve to die?"

The dark Shadowknight gaped in astonishment at the dark elf beauty that stood before him. He ordered his men to stand down and slowly moved closer to her. "Who am I? I should ask that of you who consorts with the enemy! But if you really need to know, I am Klub, Dreadlord of the Teir'Dal."

"Ha, you don't look dreadful to me! I am called Lenalia, a rogue whose home it is you invade. If you don't leave now you will feel the venom of my poisons and the deadly edge of my blades."

Klub pondered the situation for Lenalia was the most beautiful dark elf he had ever seen. He had heard rumors about a dark elf who consorted with the high elves and those who lived in the trees but he had not believed it. "My lady," Klub bowed. "I will leave and take my men with me, but only under one condition."

"Name it and if it is in my power I will grant it." Lenalia replied.

"Be my wife." Klub said unintentionally, for he had been bewitched by her the moment she stepped forth, eyes blazing. Surprised at his words, he accepted his instincts, "Marry me right here and now and I will leave your home alone."

Shocked, Lenalia stared at him bewildered. "That is surely in my power and I did promise anything in my power. Agreed. Mother!" Lenalia called Serity forth and the wedding was performed before the whole city.

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From that day forth the city remembered what Lenalia did to save them and she was ever welcomed back into the city by those who once put her down. Klub continued trying to be evil and invade other places, much to Lenalia's amusement. She played along at being evil, but always kept him in check and never let him hurt innocents. Klub and Lenalia went on to live happily, defeating great monsters valiantly and creating new stories together.

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Fin (For Now)

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So what'd you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know by reviewing please. Reviews mean I write more and help me to write better! 3 Well, there's more to Lenalia's story, but I haven't gotten around to writing it yet due to real life. So watch for a sequel! Until then... I hope you enjoy the couple stories I do have posted at the moment. *hangs her head in shame* I've really got to find more time to write!


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